Speaking at the Associated Press Sports Editors commissioners meetings in Manhattan Thursday, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said that the designated hitter would not be coming to the National League until at least 2021.
“I don’t see anything happening on this outside of the context of collective bargaining,” Manfred said. “So don’t worry about it until at least 2021.”
The current collective bargaining agreement ends in 2021, and as Manfred said, nothing would change without the players and owners negotiating it in that context.
Manfred echoed one of the many concerns baseball fans have about bringing the DH to the National League, saying that National League baseball is unique.
“Personally, I think the debate about the DH and differences in the brand of baseball is a good thing,” Manfred said. “I do think that if we move the DH to the National League we would eliminate or make extinct a brand of baseball. I think that would be an unfortunate result.”
“Nobody plays the National League brand of baseball other than the National League,” Manfred continued. “I think that would be an unfortunate outcome.”
This is has been a huge point of contention between baseball fans and it always will be. But in terms of something actually happening, it seems like that will have to wait a couple more years.
